Deliberation
by aYuKa eTeRNaL bLuE
Summary: He knew he was fragile for a long time but now he cannot afford to see her cry…A oneshot SasuSaku fic...


_He knew he was fragile for a long time; but now he cannot afford to see her cry…_

_'If to see her cry is annoying to you, and she cries because you say she's annoying… I guess you're really a fool'_

Deliberation » A short One shot SasuSaku fic

5:42…

_"What's taking him so long? I wonder if he's dated someone!"_

5:45…

_"Naruto! That's your 10th bowl already! Are you sure you can pay!"_

5:53…

_"I'm… so… FULL!"_

5:59…

"Sorry I'm late…." Murmured a guy who just entered the ramen bar, as he stared at the flabbergasted faces of the people in front of him, both seated and also looking at him.

"Eh! Sasuke! Where have you been!" Naruto, the first person yelled. "The party's over!"

"Baka!" yelled the other, who is Sakura. "Gomen, Sasuke, but Naruto ordered and ordered so…."

"Don't worry about me." He automatically answered, so the girl shut up.

"… I… am…" Sakura wanted to continue, but considering his far away gaze was just an indication. She should not dig deeper on the matter, or she'll end up guilty again; for her undying admiration for the boy.

It has been 6 long years and the three of them got used to each other and having time to spend with each other. Vowed to be best of friends through everything, their friendship meant more than any other bond linking them, not to mention the term "teammates".

And to Sasuke, they are the only people who he can rely on for always… but he tends not to show that he protects that friendship between all of them.

Although Sakura still liked Sasuke that much, she tries not to let somebody see it in any way or another from the time they became the best of friends. Naruto has his hinata, Ino has Shikamaru, and she… got no one. Still that childish admiration for a boy that she _knew _that _would never_ love her.

She sighed in the rather annoyance to it that she indicated the word NEVER. She hadn't asked if he'd open up his heart to any girl… simply because she doesn't want him to feel deprived after he finally got what he desires.

"Any problem?" he noticed her thinking deeply.

"Iie, don't bother me." She replied. Although she and he are friends, she still doesn't want him to bother her.

And to him, that is _annoying_.

_'Why does she need to do this to me?' _he asks himself, somewhat feeling guilty. On the other hand, his other perspective made him thought of:

_'Why should I be bothered on how she acts before me?'_

Yes, to that question, he ponders. He had turned her down before, many times she had cried for his attention… yet…

He doesn't want to see her cry. Not anymore. He knew he was fragile for a long time; but now he cannot afford to see her cry…

"Damn," he muttered in his irritation.

_'If to see her cry is annoying to you, and she cries because you say she's annoying… I guess you're really a fool'_

"We better get going. I still have to be in my class tomorrow," Sakura smiled at the two boys.

"Hai! And I'm returning for ramen tomorrow!" Naruto exclaimed. Sakura sweat dropped.

"Whatever," she replied. "Ikimasho ka?" Sakura asked, facing Sasuke.

"Hai," Sasuke answered and he walked away now, with Naruto and Sakura walking behind him.

"Kakashi-sensei will be coming back next week from his mission!" Naruto began a topic "how about a 'welcome back, sensei' party?"

"Sounds a great idea, Naruto-kun!" Sakura exclaimed, "What do you think, Sasuke?"

He nodded in response.

"Cool! We should prepare for that!" Naruto said. "Guys, I'll be going to this alley now, I'm going to Shika's house."

Naruto ran along the alley. "Bye! Mata ashita!"

"Mata ashita!" Sakura yelled so that he could hear from a distance.

"… So it will just be you and me, Sasuke-kun!" Sakura almost whispered. She remembered not to act like a fangirl she was before.

"Gomen,"

"No."

Sakura looked at him straightly, with his head slowly tilting sideways. With her emerald eyes in a verge of tears, she wants to clear his one-word response.

"…you don't accept my apology?" she softly said, thinking first about on what she'd said.

He wasn't speaking nor looking at her as they continued to walk.

"You don't have to say sorry." He finally broke up his silence, making her stop walking.

They finally arrived near Sakura's house, and she turned her way to its direction.

"I'm going home," she said as she headed away him. Before she could walk a few meters away him, he pulled her right wrist to prevent her from walking away.

"Doushite?" she asked irritably as he let go.

"What's the matter with you?" Sasuke began to ask her.

"... I have no problem." She merely answered. "Maybe you have."

"You act indifferently." Sasuke replied.

"Me? I treat you right, I interact because we're friends… and I value---" she was interrupted by Sasuke:

"You are not like that before, you always say you're sorry and everything now, I thought you said we are friends here?" his tone was getting mad.

"You don't get it because I fear you!" she answered back emotionally. "I fear to be rejected by you, and so I started to carefully notice what I say or do, so that I won't annoy you!"

"You weren't annoying." Sasuke began.

"Then why did you have to say that since we were young?" Sakura wanted to cry, for memories of her _"unfortunate" _childhood admiration comes back.

"… Don't worry, I accepted that already from long time ago, so we must not dig that thing once more. We are okay now, right? So I'm going home."

She turned her back and began to walk now, and Sasuke cared to say a few words:

"I said you were annoying because…" he began, branding himself stupid for the things he's saying."I found out that time that I can love… and that it's not just revenge living in me"

"… I hate to know that I have feelings too."

Sakura stopped and she was silenced. She wanted him to tell everything she doesn't know about him.

"I thought that admiration would be eased away by time, but it remains in me…"

"Gomen---" Sakura replied, now facing him with all sincerity. Tears began to form in her eyes, and Sasuke wanted her to stop.

"Don't cry," he said. "I want you to know that I want the old Sakura to return…"

She stopped for a brief moment and wiped her tears, and then their gazes meet.

"Aishiteru, Sakura…"

She stared at him blankly for a moment, trying to recall what he had said,

_Aishiteru._

A vague word for her--- it may mean for friendship… as comrades… but…

"Nani?" she whispered

She knew he was blushing, but she didn't mind noticing it, not shout something like: "Sasuke-kun! You're blushing, ne!". She did want to react wild, but she needs to get hold of it.

_Oh my god…._ Her inner self began to work again.

"I... mean it,"

"What do you mean?"

His face turned redder, and he shook his head.

"Don't act naïve…"

Then she suddenly giggled. Sasuke was surprised, because for a long time, he hadn't seen her like that again.

Then she looked at him and then hugged him tight. She doesn't care if he gets mad or whatsoever reaction he'll have, but he hugged her too.


End file.
